Adults are iridescent green to blue-green on the back and top of head. The sides are silvery, turning to white on the belly. They have black spots (at least a few) on the upper half of their body and on all fins. Chinook differ from Coho salmon and other Great Lakes salmonids by having grey or black mouth coloration with teeth set in the black gums, a squared tail with spots on both halves, and 15-19 rays in the anal fin.

Native to the Pacific Coast from southern California, to northern Alaska and on the Asian shore to Japan. Although introduced into the Great Lakes intermittently since 1877, they were not firmly established until massive plantings began in 1967. They are now found in all of the Great Lakes. In the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan, they are abundant from Kenosha, to Washington Island, and into Green Bay.

Spawning:

Chinook salmon generally spawn near riffles in large rivers or large
tributaries. They tend to spawn in deeper water and
on larger gravel than other Pacific salmon. Fresh-
water populations may spawn in rivers flowing into
a lake, or on gravel shoals in the lake. The males and
females are aggressive on the spawning grounds.